Basis is bringing sleep analytics to its B1 health tracker band

The Basis B1 is already one of the most advanced activity trackers on the market, with the ability to measure information like heart rate and skin temperature. And it’s about to get even more comprehensive with the release of the Basis 2.0 app for iOS, Android and the web on January 21. Basis is adding advanced sleep analytics, which will make the B1 the only band capable of monitoring deep, light and REM sleep.

According to Basis, it partnered with researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF); San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center (SFVAMC) and the Northern California Institute of Research and Education (NCIRE) in testing its sleep analysis technology. The B1 was benchmarked against other consumer and medical grade devices to make sure it provides a comprehensive picture of how you sleep. Here’s a quick rundown of what the band will be able to do:

REM sleep, deep sleep and light sleep tracking – Basis charts each phase over the course of a sleep cycle and provides a breakdown of whether users achieve the proper ratio of each phase nightly.

Personal sleep score – This proprietary metric provides insight into overall sleep quality. Users can compare daily scores to an ongoing average to track progress. Basis’ healthy habits, such as Consistent Bedtime, provide small actions to improve sleep habits over time,

Automatic sleep capturing – Basis automatically captures all of these sleep phases. No need to push buttons or change modes like the other trackers on the market.

The biggest advantage Basis is offering against the competition is the ability to determine your REM sleep cycles. Fitbit and Jawbone can track light and deep sleep to an extent, but right now neither band can detect REM. Basis is able to accomplish this through a combination of motion sensors – which detect when you toss and turn – as well as its heart rate sensor. This allows Basis to more accurately know when you’re actually sleeping, as opposed to just lying down.

I’m even more psyched about the automatic sleep capture. I really enjoyed using the sleep tracking features on the Jawbone UP24 and the Fitbit Force, but I often forgot to either capture my sleep at night or stop reading it in the morning. You can go back later and enter that data manually, but I like that Basis is making this process seamless, which will probably make more people likely to use it.

In addition to the new app, Basis also announced a new carbon steel edition of its B1 health tracker. It features polished chrome details and a stretchy, silicon black strap. It’s available now for $199 directly from Basis, and will soon be on sale from Amazon and Best Buy. You can also pick up the original B1 for $179 from Basis and Amazon.